Attachment for dobby looms



June 5, 1928.

1,672,773 s. P. PARKER ATTACHMENT FOR DOBBY LOOMS Filed Feb. 5, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Elam Sam PinkneyPar/(fl;

S. P. PARKER ATTACHMENT FOR DOBBY LOOMS Filed Feb. 3, 1927 June 5, 1928.

000000 00000000 0000 0000 OOOOOOOO Patented June 5, 1928 PATENT. OFFICE.

SAMUEL PINKNEY PARKER, OF FRANKLINTON, NORTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOE TO VANN-MOORE MILLS COMPANY, OF FRANKLINTON, NORTH CAROLINA, A CORPORA- TION OF NORTH CAROLINA.

ATTACHMENT FOR nouns? Looms.

Application filed February This inventionpertains to dobby looms, and consists in an attachment for, or an addition to, such looms whereby they are rendered capable of performing work or producing results of which they were heretofore lncapable. The mechanism constituting such attachment or addition is capable of ready application to dobby looms of usual or common type and construction, but will be right members and connecting arches of t 1e loom frame, showing the do parts of the mechanism, a heddle frame and the straps and springs formoving the same in opposite directions, the heddles being,

broken away in the mid-section of the group to, show portions of the attachment at the rear of said frame, and also showing the patternchain support;

Fig. 2, a transverse vertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

.Fig. 3, a top plan view of a board or plate analogous to the com er board of Jacquard loom, such beingemployed as apart of the presentattachment.

To avoid confusion of terms I shall use in the following description the term heddle or heddle frame in referring to the usual harness or heddle frames with their hed- "i dies and actuating connections,and the term heald when referring to independently actuated wires or cords each provided with a mail or eye and corresponding generally to the coupling employed in Jacquard looms, and comprising the sleeper, mail hanger and lingoe of such coupling.

The invention is primarily intended to enable ordinary dobby looms to produce a terry fabric with a stripe or stripes extending in u u formed by brin Figure l is a front elevation of the u by head with its casing partially broken away to disclose erforate a, 1927. Serial No. 165,691.

andthe portions bearing these are separated by pileless sections or plain basket, weaves of from one to two inches, more orless, extending from one to the other selvage of the web, which sections are subsequently cut through their median portion to separate the individual towels, scarfs, or other articles the severed edges being thereafter hemmed or otherwise finished to prevent ravelling, andto give a neat appearance.

Though primarily designed or used at present for the manufacture of towels having a terry ground, the invention is applicable to the production of plain round fabrics having letters, figures or designs ing to the surface contrast- 111%W2l1p threa s. I

, eferring first to Figs. 1 and 2, the nu; merals 1 indicate the upright sides of the main frame of a loom connected at their upper edges by front and rear arches 2, as best seen in Fig. 2. 3 indicates the casin or cover of a dobby head, and the numera s 4 indicate harness levers, of which but two can be seen for the reason that the actuated levers fall in one line while the unactuated levers fall into another line, thus producing two lines of which only the foremostlever of each line can be seen when looking at the front of the loom as in Fig. 1.. In the draw ings (Fig. 2) I have represented a dobby. head employing twenty harness levers, and

serving ordinarily to actuate or to lifttwenty distinct harnesses or heddle frames, which are lowered by gravity aided by the action of springs to ensurequick and, right-line movement. Four harnesses and four harness levers are suflicient for weaving the terry fabric of which the body of the towels, scarfs, or other articles is to be made; hence Iset apart the forward group of four harness levers and harnesses for that purpose. As these comprise the usual straps attached to the heddle-carrying frames and extending over pulle s oncross rods running from the front to t e rear arch and thence to one or another of the four forward harness levers, and the usual springs extending from the lower bar of said heddle frame to hooks or fixtures at or near the floor, further description of said parts seem unnecessary.

The remaining sixteen harness levers are employed to actuate healds, wires or cords 5 having eyes 6 through which the warp yarns or ends emplo ed in weaving the stripe or band bearing etters, words, figures or designs, are led and by which their shedding action is effected. These healds 5 are attached to cords 7 analogous to the neck cords of a Jacquard loom, the upper ends of each of the cords 7 being attached to one or the other of two oppositely-extending arms of a T-lever 8 pivotally mounted upon a cross ,rod 9 carriedin supports 10 on the front A and rear arches 2 of the main frame of the loom. As sixteen T-levers are provided in the particular showing here made, and as each lever has two oppositely-extending 'arms, thirty-two neck cords are provided,

and these control thirty-two warp yarns or ends. If desired, more than one neck cord may be carried by each of the alined arms of the respective levers 8 or of any of said levers, and the number of warp yarns or ends controlled by said levers may be thus multiplied. From the intermediate arm of each T-lever 8, a connecting wire or rod 11 extends to one or another of the harnessactuatinglevers 4 of the dobby. A contractile spring 12 extends from the intermediate arm of each T-lever S in the opposite direction, and is attached to a cross rod 13 carried at its ends in uprights 1a similarly se cured to the front and rear arches 2 of frame 1. In the drawings the intermediate arm of each lever 8 extends upwardly and the description is worded accordingly, but said arm may be extended downwardly without changing their action or effect, if the warp yarns be properly threaded.

The dobby levers normally stand in the position of the right-hand lever 4 of Fig. 1, that is, thrown to the right; but when actuated through the medium of the pattern chain 15. assume the position shown by the.

left-hand lever 4 in said figure. T he springs 12 normally hold the Tlevers 8 with their intermediate arms thrown somewhat tothe right as shown by the rear lever 8 in Fig. 1, and the levers 4 connected with the levers 8 serve, when actuated. to swing the intermediate arms of the T-levers to the left, or

to the position indicated by the foremost lever 8 in Fig. 1. \Vith the levers 4 in their normal position and the levers 8 in their normal position (that of the rear lever 8 in Fig. 1), the eyes Got the healds 5 will be in common horizontal plane coincident with the eyes of the heddles of frame 16. Those heddles usually occupying the midlength portion of the frames 16 are of course omitted from said frames, being replaced by the healds 5.

ing the heald 5 attached to its left-hand arm.

Each heald 5 is provided below the eye 6 with a weight or lingo 17, sufficient to maintain said heald in true vertical position, and to cause the prompt lowering of the heald when the supporting arm 0 lever 8' with which it is connected is lowered. At the same time those healds connected with the right-hand arms of the actuated T-levers will be raised a distance equal to the lowering of those connected with the left-hand arms, and the warp yarns or ends passing through the eyes 6 of healds respectively so lowered and raised will be moved apart, producing the shed between the warp yarns thus lowered and raised. Such shedding action will occur simultaneously with that of the other warp yarns which is produced by the raising and lowering of alternate heddle frames, and the shuttle will at each reversal of the shed be shot through the newly formed shed and lay therein the weft thread, in the usual manner of weaving.

In producing terry fabric, three picks are, usually, made between each two movements of the lay or lathe which beatsup the several picks of yarn laid by the shuttle, and in so doing forms the loops or pile on the upper and lower faces of the fabric, these loops being formed in the warp yarns bound or held by the several picks of weft thread, and caused to buckle or loop upward and downward respectively as the weft picks are driven up into the fell or apex of the shed. This process continues uninterruptedly throughout such length of the web or fabric as is to have the terr formation. In the case of toweling and similar oods, each individual article may, for sma ler sizes, have its length in a direction transverse to the warp yarns or ends, or from selvage to selvage, and its width in the direction of said warp yarns, but for lar er towels or articles the ength will preferab be in the direction of the warp yarns. 'l he terry weave is continued a distance equal to the width of a small towel or article, or equal to the len th of a large towel or article, and is then followed by a section of plain or basket weave, sufiicient to afford an adequate hem for the proximate sides or ends of two terry sections when the web is cut transversely along the median line of the basket weave section, to

separate successive towels or articles.

The raising and the lowering of the warp yarns of the zone or zone stripe or stripes which is or are to bear the letters, words, figures or design, is under control of the healds 5 operated by the T-levers 8, and the passage of any given pin bar of said chain beneath the fingers orother members of the dobby which bring about the throw of the dobby levers 4. The respective bars will have more or fewer pins accordin to the number of T -levers 8 to be actuate or con, trolled by said bars, and these pins will be variously positioned in the respective bars according to the particular warp yarns to be raised and to be lowered respectively through the action of each chain bar in turn. According to the actuation of the T-levers 8, one or another group of warp yarns will be lifted and a corresponding group will be lowered.

The warp yarns or ends for the stripe or stripes, band or hands comprise one set of threads of the same color as the main body of the towel, usually white or a light color, and another set of a contrasting color or shade. In the case of small towels or articles, or towels which are of a width less than the width of the woven web or fabric, the length of the towel is equal to the width of the web, and the selvages of the web form the ends of such towel or article, while the sides are preferabl hemmed, though they may be bound or otherwise finished. In the case of larger towels or articles, the selvages of the web will constitute the side edges of the towel, while the ends formed of the basket weave sections between successive towel lengths, will be hemmed or otherwise finished. In every case the longitudinal stripe or band formed in the woven web shows on its upper face only the light or body color except where the warp threads or ends of darker or contrasting color are brought to the upper face of the towel or other article, to form the letters, figures, design or pattern, while on the corresponding lower face or back of the towel, only the white or lighter warp yarns appear in such figures, designs or patterns, the remaining or body portion of the stripe or stripes, band or bands on the under or rear face being of the dark or contrasting color. In other words, the figures, letters, or pattern appear on the upper or front face of the-towel only in the darker or contrasting color, and on the lower or rear face ofthe towel only in the lighter or ground color. The relatively larger and smaller articles differ only in size,,and in the fact that in the larger articles the color bands or stripes run lengthwise of the towel or article, or in the direction of the warp threads or ends, while in the relatively smaller towels or articles, said stripes or bands run transversely of the gage and ride upon curve towels, though still in the direction of the warp threads. The warp yarns for such stripe or band may be wound to present the light and the contrasting colors in alternation or in alternating pairs, according to the quality or weight of toweling-or fabric to be produced. When the yarns are arranged side by side in pairs, both yarns of a pair are led through the eye of a single heddle and handled. as a single yarn.

For thepurpose of guiding the neck cords 7 to the healds 5,1 employ a perforated board 35 such as shown in Fig. 3, and analogous to the usualcon'iber board of the Jacquard loom. It is deemed advantageous also to provide two upper perforate bars 36 to divide the neck cords 7 into two distinct groups, those connected with the left-hand armsof the levers 8 constituting one group and those connected with the righthand arms of said levers constituting the other group. These guides serve to keep the cords and healds properly separated and free from interference, and to direct the neck cords 7 to points directly over the warp yarns of healds 5 and their weight of lingoes 17, so that said c'ords, healds and weights may move in true vertical lines and be prevented from interfering or becoming entangled one with another. The several guides are conveniently carried by supports secured to and extending downward from the rear arch member of the loom frame, but may be placed in any convenient position.

The pattern-chain 15 and the roll or cyl-' inder 23 which advances said chainbar by bar during the operation of the loom are in the main of usual construction, but the chains connecting the pins-bars 21 are preferably furnished atsuitable intervals with small rods or wires 27 extending parallel with said. pin-bars and of a length somewhat in excess of the dobby cylinder 23, the ends of which are notched to receive said rods or wires. The purpose of the rods or wires 27 is to form supports for the chain 15 which, as the descending section ofsaid chain falls from the dobbcy cylinder 23, en

sup 30. secured to the brackets w ich support the dobby mechanism, or to any otherconvenient support; In this way the patternchain is caused to fall in a series of loops extending downward to a point somewhat above the floor. The outer extremities of guide arms 30 are sustained by supports 31., 32 held at any desired adjustment by a set screw 33, thus compensating for variation in height or curvature of said arms 30. The outermost stretch of chain constituting the series of depending loops passesupward to and about a cylinder 40 carried by a shaft or axle 39 journaled in upright supports 38 carried by the guide arms 30, said cylinder 40 being essentially the same in construcorting arms tion and size as the dobby cylinder 23. Better to ensure proper wrapping ofthe pattern-chain about the cylinders 23 and 40, an intermediate loose roll 37 journaled in. arms or brackets 34 carried by the supporting frame of the loom or the dobby support, and placed at a lower level than said cylinders 23 and. 40, serves to cause the chain to move downward from cylinder 40 and thence upward to cylinder 23 as seen in Fig. 1. This ensures proper retention of the pinbars 21 in the seats of cylinders 23 and 40. To effect like rotation of the cylinders 23 and 40, a chain 41 passes about like sprocket-wheels on the respective ends of said cylinders, or on the shafts or axles which carry them. No claim is made. herein to the chain construction just described, or to the supporting and guiding devices therefor.

The foregoing description contemplates the production of towels with selvage ends and hemmed sides, requiring short plain or basket woven stretches between successive towel sections, but it is obvious that terry fabrics and plain fabrics having a continuous figured stripe, or a plurality of such stripes running lengthwise of the entire web, may be produced through the use of the mechanism here described, and I contemplate such use thereof. The plurality of stripes may be produced either by carrying a plurality of neck cords from each end of each T'lever, or b using a plurality of sets of levers 8 contro ling different sets of neck cords and healds, each lever actuating simultaneously at least one ascending and one descending neck cord.

By my invention I am enabled to adapt the common dobby looms now in wide and general use, to the manufacture of fabrics having one or more longitudinal stripes or bands of any desired width and containing suitable designs, letters, words, names or figures, continuous or repeated. The entire mechanism necessary to be added to the ordinary loom consists of relatively few parts of very simple form. They comprise a group of identical T-levers such as 8; cross rods as 9 and 13; four supports such as 10 and 14; identical springs such as 12; and neck cords, healds, and weights or lingoes, or their equivalent, springs, those of each group being identical one with another. They may be applied to existing looms already in operation, by any good mill hand in a very short time, and connected up to operate in the manner described by any fairly experienced weaver. Similarly, the only changes required to be made in the existing dobby mechanism are to groove circumferentially the end portions of the chain-supporting and feeding cylinder; provide the guides 31 and 34; furnish the chains with the wires or rods 27; and add the roll 37 can be substituted for the wires or rods 11;

and that other known equivalents may be used. So also, while I have shown the levers 8 of T form, it is obvious that the essential feature of such lever is that it shall have two oppositelyextending arms, one of which serves to elevate a warp yarn while the other serves smultaneously to sink another warp yarn. In other words, if actuating connection be made with either of the reversely extending arms, the third arm may be omitted without in any manner changing the mode or principle of action of said levers.

Connection between the wires or rods 11 and the levers 8. and between the neck cords 7 and the oppositely extending arms of said levers, may be conveniently made by the common S-shaped hook or lever. This may also be employed in connecting the healds 5 with the neck cords 7, but any common or well-known connection, as a simple tie, may be employed.

I am aware that it has been proposed to utilize a limited number of harness-actuating dobby levers to control the harnesses required to weave a ground fabric, and the remaining dobby levers to control and actuate independent or individual neck cords and healds for producing warp effects or patterns in such fabric; hence I do not broadly claim such utilization of the dobby mechanism. I have, however, devised an exceedingly simple and inexpensive mechanism, readily applicable to and removable from dobby looms already in use, and which, by the employment of rocking levers having two oppositely-extending arms, is capable of controlling twice as many warp yarns as can be controlled by any prior or suggested construction of this nature known to me.

hat is claimed is 1. In combination with harness-actuating levers of a dobby loom, rocking levers having oppositely-extending arms; connections between said levers and the dobby harness levers whereby said harness levers are caused to actuate the rocking levers; cords attached to the outer ends of the arms of the rocking levers; healds independently suspended by the respective cords and each provided with an eye through which a warp yarn or end is carried; and means for moving the rocking levers to normal position after they have been moved from normal position by the dobby harness levers.

2. In a dobby loom, the combination with harness levers of the dobby mechanism, of T-shaped levers pivotally mounted on the frame of the loom. each having its two oppositely-extending arms provided with neck cords; guides through which said neck cords pass to position them in proper relation to the paths of selected warp yarns; healds attached one to each of said neck cords and each provided with an eye for the passage of a warp yarn through it; and means for restoring the T-levers to their normal position after they are moved by the dobby harness levers from such normal position.

3. In a dobbyloom having the usual pattern chain and dobby mechanism for actuating a number of harnesses, and having a suitable number of harnesses for the production of a ground fabric; a series of rocking levers having two oppositely-extending arms; neck cords carried byeach of said levers, at least one by each of said arms; healds, one attached to each neck cord and each provided with an eye for the passage through it of a warp yarn; means for drawing and normally holding the rocking levers to one position; and connections between said rocking levers each rocking lever is caused, when actuated to raise one and sink another warp yarn of a selected group. I

4. In combination with a dobby loom having the usual harness-actuating dobby levers, harnesses sufficient in number for the weaving of a terry fabric; rocking levers of T shape pivotally mounted on the frame of the loom; connections extending from the intermediate arm of each such lever to one of the dobby harness levers; springs, each fixed at one end and connected at the opposite end to the intermediate arm of one or another of the T-levers; neck cords carried by each rocking lever, at least one by each oppositely extending arm thereof; wires or healds suspended from the neck cords, each provided with an eye for the passage through it of a warp yarn; and a pattern chain for the dobby having its pins positioned to actuate the in proper order to produce predetermined patterns or designs extending longitudinally of the woven web and formed by raising to the upper surface of the web certain of the dobby levers and consequently the T-levers warp yarns in a givenlongitudinal zone of a the fabric and sinking other yarns therein. In testimony whereof I have signed my 7 name to this specification. and harness levers of the dobby, whereby,

SAMUEL PINKNEY PARKER. 

